The lowly company card we do not give it a second thought before we get the thing composed, and we just do what everybody else does. A lot of men and women, new in business, get the business card published before they’re ready to, which causes lots of the mistakes I record below. In both circumstances, experienced or new, we’re missing substantial opportunities to let your business card take a number of their work off your own shoulders. We may take it for granted, however I feel your business card is one of your most important parts of marketing collateral, and also the most under-utilized.

Here are my tips for how to have your business card working as hard as you do. If you want to play together, pull out your business card and see whether your card is guilty of some of those first four no-no’s.

1. Missing email. Believe it or not, lots of the cards that I get via media meetings are missing email addresses. This is most common with new small business owners and people in the private care industry, but still, there is no explanation.

2. An email address that ends with , , , or your ISP’s domain. Everybody in business for themselves needs to use their own domain (like @). This is free advertising of your internet site, so why are you advertisements Yahoo!, Comcast, or AOL rather than yourself? Advertising a free email account as your organization email is just plain incorrect.

3. Glossy cards you can’t write on. Alright, that is my pet peeve. It’s true, you can get these cards printed at no cost on the Internet. That sends a loud message that you don’t even have the cash for business cards which you do everything on the cheap. That’s not what I want people to consider my organization.

4. A web site address printed on the card that is not up yet. While I get a business card out of you, I am very likely to see your web site to learn more. If it doesn’t come up, it tells me one of 2 things: you either did not pay your hosting business or webmaster, or you have not gotten into this job yet. Both are bad messages to ship.

Okay, how are you doing? These are very basic, so if you’ve been in business for a few years, you are probably doing well. So today let’s ask if your business card looks like it is from a small operation or a Fortune 500 business. How about these small business no-no’s?

5. Missing job name. Every business card must list your job title, especially if you’re President or CEO.

6. Photo of you. This is tell-tale small business. I disagree with a few men and women who feel that it assists during networking; you can go to the web site and view their picture there. A picture takes up valuable card property and yells “self” It’s simply not the best thing to have on your card.

7. No logo. Every company needs a logo for branding its own image.

8. Clip art. Your logo should be the sole art on your own card.

9. Weird form. I don’t feel the way to stand out is via strange colors or contour of your business card.

Now, let us get to what really matters: the promotion. Here are some things to think about that very few others do that will help your outcomes together with prospects:

10. 1 phone number. Prospects can get confused as to what number to call. List just one, or make it clear when to call what amount. Do not keep us guessing.

11. The company you’re in. Should you said nothing and passed your business card into a stranger and asked them exactly what business you are in, would they figure it out? If not, neither can your prospect. Make sure your tag line or business name clearly defines the business you are in and if it doesn’t, you will need to add something in your card that does.

12. Things to do. Get prospects into your funnel by telling them exactly what to do next directly on your own business card. Can they receive a complimentary consultation? A free white paper? Make it clear on the card they can register for another step to get to know you.

How’d you do? I hope you passed, and if not, I see that a visit to your own printer on your near future.